SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WCIA) – Both Republican candidate for Governor Darren Bailey and Republican candidate for Attorney General Tom DeVore were endorsed Monday morning by the Illinois and Chicago Fraternal Order of Police.
Police union presidents endorsed the candidates for their tough-on-crime positions.
“A state cannot function, let alone attract new people when it cannot keep people safe.” Bailey said. “We will stop trying to make the police the enemy and will start working with them to keep innocent people safe.”
DeVore said he would utilize existing state laws to become a state-wide prosecutor for counties he feels do not prosecute enough.
“We would come to Cook County, into the city. We would have a dedicated staff that will be committed when Kim Fox does not prosecute these criminals.” DeVore said. “We will prosecute them ourselves to make sure that people are aware that in this city, crime will be deterred.”
The Chicago FOP endorsed Bailey’s opponent, Richard Irvin, in the primary but Chicago FOP president John Catanzara said he was surprised by Bailey’s primary performance.
“Bailey proved us all wrong. He got historic numbers north of [I80] that many of our old members didn’t think he could do,” Catanzara said.
Pritzker’s campaign fired back at the endorsement with Bailey’s voting record as a state legislator. Bailey has voted against several Democratic-sponsored bills funding law enforcement, such as creating new crime labs and putting up more highway cameras to deter street crimes.
“Bailey’s real record is one of staggering inaction and contradiction, and we deserve better.” Eliza Glezer, Pritzker’s campaign press secretary, said. Bailey refused to take questions from Chicago reporters at the event, largely believed so he could dodge answering comments that resurfaced last week from a 2017 livestream where he juxtaposed abortion with the Holocaust.
